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A scratch can be a light scuff in the clear coat or a gouge down to bare metal. Route 66 Auto Repair in Upland checks which one you have before suggesting anything. Surface scuffs and small chips can often be improved here. Deep scratches that need a panel refinished are referred, and we tell you so at the counter. Our ASE-certified technicians put the depth, the options and the price range in a written estimate.
How deep is your scratch?
Paint has layers: clear coat on top, color below, then primer and metal. The layer the scratch reaches sets the repair.
- Vanishes when wet: usually in the clear coat only
- Catches a fingernail lightly: into the clear coat, maybe the color
- Shows white or gray: through the color to primer
- Shows shiny or rusty metal: down to steel, act soon
- Plastic bumper scratch showing black or gray: into the cover itself
What can be done in-house for scratches?
Clear-coat scuffs from brushes, bags and branches can often be reduced by careful polishing, which removes a thin layer of clear coat around the mark. Small rock chips can be touched up and sealed so they do not spread or rust. These repairs are about improvement and protection. On a dark car in full sun, a touched-up chip is still visible up close, and we say that honestly.
A long key scratch through the color or a scrape across a full door is refinishing work. That needs a paint shop, and we refer it. If the scratch sits on a bumper cover that also cracked, bumper replacement may be the cleaner path.
Our scratch repair process
Step 1: Clean and inspect
We wash the area and check depth under good light.
Step 2: Recommend a level
The estimate says polish, touch-up and seal, or refer for refinishing.
Step 3: Treat the area
Approved polishing or touch-up is done, with bare metal sealed first.
What's included in scratch repair
Included on the work order
- 01Depth check of each scratch
- 02Honest before-and-after expectations
- 03Bare metal sealing where approved
- 04Final look in daylight with you
Does a paint scratch need fixing now?
Need now: call
- Scratches or chips down to bare steel
- Chips on the hood leading edge that keep growing
Need later: book
- Clear-coat scuffs
- Scratches on plastic bumper covers with no crack
How is scratch repair priced?
Depth, length and the number of areas set the price. Polishing and touch-up are usually short jobs when the board allows. Refinishing is quoted by the paint shop, not by us. A scratch that sits inside a dent is handled with dent removal first.
Scratch repair aftercare
Hand wash for the first few weeks. Park in shade when you can; Upland sun is hard on fresh touch-up and on clear coat in general. If bubbles appear around an old chip, read our rust repair service page.
Frequently asked questions
Can you make a key scratch disappear?
Only if it stayed in the clear coat, which is rare. A scratch through the color needs refinishing, which we refer to a paint shop. We can seal any bare metal in the meantime.
Is touch-up paint worth it?
For small chips, yes, because it keeps moisture off the metal. It will not be invisible up close. The goal is protection and a cleaner look from a normal distance.
Will polishing thin my paint?
Polishing removes a very thin layer of clear coat, so we use the least aggressive approach that works and do not repeat it on the same spot without reason. We check the area before and after.